


the error of your ways

by sansrival



Series: "go ahead," she said, "take it." [1]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Thieves, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, the lipsoul is kinda angsty, the yvesoul is... :), they're art thieves, this is mostly yvesoul they're rivals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:51:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansrival/pseuds/sansrival
Summary: Jinsoul was a thief and nothing more, far too good at what she did and far too careless for the complex, convoluted feelings that racked her simple mind and propelled her body.At least it was fun. And that's all she cared about, really.





	the error of your ways

**Author's Note:**

> this is the product of exams season when my brain desperately wanted to think of something other than what i had to study. also partly inspired by a gq article i read in august called ‘The Great Chinese Art Heist’ great read pls check it out
> 
> never expected myself to come out of my writing slump for a loona fic. i love jinsoul...this is really just self-gratification. i will now promptly return to that slump. happy holidays to everyone! hope you enjoy, share this with all ur friends, comments always appreciated :)

“You’re going to fool them with that? You can’t be serious.”

Jinsoul froze at the voice, but the panic rising within her subsided once she saw who it came from.

“Funny seeing you here,” she said at the woman approaching her. Sooyoung was coming out of the shadows, like a villain in a Hollywood film, beautiful even in the dark.

In the dark expanse of the gallery, the emergency lights triggered by the power outage shone on the two of them like spotlights on a stage. Jinsoul had cut the power, but didn’t expect the lights. At least it added a dramatic flair, as if they were in some shitty film noir.

Sooyoung glanced at the replica Jinsoul had hung up in place of the painting she just took. “That doesn’t look convincing at all.”  

To Jinsoul, the duplicate looked fine. She couldn’t tell the difference. Not that it mattered to her. “I’m a thief, not some aficionado. It’s what they gave me,” Jinsoul said with a shrug. 

They were both dressed in black, but Jinsoul’s new hair colour peeking from beneath her hood made her stand out.

Sooyoung didn’t hesitate to comment on it. “You look good. But when the whole point of thieving is to be secretive, that blonde hair of yours seems highly disadvantageous.”

“I like it,” Jinsoul replied. Judging from her smile, Sooyoung seemed to like that answer. Taking a step forward, her eyes fell on the small case Jinsoul's gloved hand was holding at her side.

“Hm. The painting is in your hands, but we both know that when we go our separate ways, it’ll be with me,” Sooyoung quipped, returning her gaze to Jinsoul. She took another step forward.

Jinsoul didn’t yield. “Look at you…always acting so high and mighty even though I do all the hard work.”

A corner of Sooyoung’s lips lifted in a small smirk, but Jinsoul’s eyes remained trained on hers.

“All your hard work always goes to waste. I barely have to lift a finger.” Sooyoung took another step, a longer stride than the last, so that their faces were mere inches away from one another. Jinsoul’s head lifted to meet her gaze. The eye contact they maintained was relentless.

Jinsoul hummed, tilting her head a bit. She could smell an amber aroma from the taller woman; subtle, but intoxicating. It was like a magnet pulling her forward, but Jinsoul resisted and tood her ground.

“Can’t nab a piece of artwork on your own, yet here you are with that smirk on your face. Have you no shame?” Jinsoul murmured.

Sooyoung let out an airy chuckle and it was then she finally succeeded in distracting Jinsoul’s gaze. She watched as Jinsoul’s eyes flickered to her lips. About time. Sooyoung knew she had already won.

Her hand moved forward to the case that held the painting. Sooyoung gingerly snaked her fingers around Jinsoul’s wrist, trailing it down until she too had a hold on the handle. All Jinsoul needed to do was let go and the exchange would be done.

Sooyoung dipped her head so her lips nearly touched Jinsoul’s ear. “Not my fault you can’t get enough of me.”

Chills trailed down Jinsoul’s spine as she loosened her grip, letting the handle slip into Sooyoung’s own fingers. The amber aroma was stronger now. She wanted to be engulfed in it.

Sooyoung pulled away far too soon.

 _No, you’re not getting away scot free. Not today._ Jinsoul was no coward. She already had a fistful of Sooyoung’s sleeve, preventing her from stepping away any further. “Come with me.”

Assertive. Sooyoung liked that, which is why she let herself be whisked away.

This always happened.

 

 

“This always fucking happens!”

Jungeun’s loud curse reverberated around the room. Jinsoul flinched, but ducked her head to hide her small smile. Seeing Jungeun angry gave her a weird kind of satisfaction.

“She’s always a step ahead of us, what can we do?” Jinsoul said.

That was an obvious lie; Jinsoul was the one who was always two steps ahead of Sooyoung. Such a lie would’ve pained Jinsoul to say in any other situation, but right now, knowing it pissed off Jungeun, Jinsoul was willing to praise Sooyoung as much as she could.  

“I don’t understand how that bitch can get there before us,” Jungeun muttered, running a hand through her hair, “before _you!_ How could this happen?” She turned towards Jinsoul, who had settled herself on the couch, feet up on the table and a slice of pizza halfway in her mouth.

Jinsoul shrugged; it was her best shield against the daggers Jungeun would shoot out of her eyes.

“You’re our _best!_ ”

Jinsoul smiled at that one. “Thank you, I know,” she said before letting out a cough and throwing the half-eaten pizza slice back in the box, “gross, does this have mushrooms? You know I hate mushrooms.”

Jungeun stomped over, shoving Jinsoul’s feet off the table. “Jinsoul! What’s wrong with you?!”

Jinsoul winced. “Can you not blow my eardrums out? We’re in Paris, let me relax for once, _s'il vous plaît_. There’s plenty of other art to take, what’s losing some fancy picture?”

“You just forfeited a few thousand bucks. We’re gonna lose a client! How can you let her take the painting before you?!”

“I told you, there’s nothing I can do if she gets there before me,” Jinsoul replied, the calmness in her voice a stark contrast from Jungeun’s evident exasperation.

Jungeun leaned forward and hovered over the other woman on the couch. Looking up at her, Jinsoul wondered if this was what it’d be like to be with Jungeun under different circumstances, preferably in a bed. She could only imagine.

“Then get there before her,” Jungeun told her through gritted teeth. Jinsoul tried not to smile. “Or I start cutting your pay in half if you lose the next job to her.”  

At this, Jinsoul’s face finally dropped. She jumped to her feet as Jungeun spun on hers and walked off.

“Cutting my pay?! That’s bullshit!” she shouted to the back of Jungeun’s head, “how is it my fault if I lose a job to her?”

“If you don’t want it cut, then be the one who’s a step ahead,” Jungeun retorted as she swung the door open. “Simple as that. Do your job properly. Now get the fuck out of here.”

Meeting her at the door, Jinsoul stared at Jungeun, who only kept her stern gaze. She only ever cared for the business.

Jinsoul left the hotel room with knitted eyebrows.

 

\

 

The fire alarm was deafening. Even Jinsoul was taken aback, despite being the one who pulled it.

The visitors quickly shuffled out of the modest manor-turned-museum, young high-schoolers from a local field trip shoving each other and stragglers trailing behind the commotion. Jinsoul was sandwiched somewhere in the middle. She clutched her thermos close to her stomach.

Outside, she merged into one of the small groups by the lawn waiting for the fire department to come by and inevitably give an all clear. It was all a waste of everyone’s day since there was no actual fire. Jinsoul just needed a way out.

It was a particularly busy day and that was chosen on purpose; it allowed Jinsoul to blend in more, lose herself in the crowd. Pulling a theft in the middle of the day was risky too, but well, Jinsoul was never one to shy away from a challenge.

The sound of a siren increasingly grew louder. As everyone was distracted by the arrival of a firetruck, Jinsoul took the opportunity to slip away. She turned on her heels and headed down the sidewalk, casual as she could be. She let a smile sneak onto her face as she got further from the evacuated visitors. No pay cut for her.

Suddenly, an arm snaked around her waist, causing her to come to an abrupt halt. She turned her neck so fast she could’ve gotten whiplash, ready to slap whoever dared to touch her.

But lo and behold, she was greeted by a familiar, pretty, tight-lipped smile. Jinsoul felt her shoulders slacken unconsciously.

Sooyoung kept her arm around Jinsoul’s waist as she tugged her into a casual stroll down the sidewalk.

“You know, the blonde is growing on me. You look pretty today,” Sooyoung noted as she pulled Jinsoul closer to her to let an oncoming bike rider on their path ride past them. She slid her hand into Jinsoul’s pocket. “Like always.” She was charming.

Jinsoul glanced at the other woman briefly, her gaze landing on the pronounced collarbone. Sooyoung was wearing an off-shoulder that fit her torso in all the right ways. Her eyes wandered ahead. 

“So do you,” Jinsoul hummed, “like always.”

They turned into a park. Jinsoul had eased into Sooyoung’s hold, even if she wasn’t supposed to feel relaxed by this situation. It was like her calmness made her feel uneasy, ironically. 

“What brings you to sunny…New York?” Jinsoul asked, slight pause when she momentarily forgot where they were. Jungeun would whisk her to various places around the world and Jinsoul would just hop on planes and trains without knowing the destination. That was part of the thrill.

“Same reason you’re here,” Sooyoung answered, “you have something I want.” She eyed the thermos in Jinsoul’s hand.

Jinsoul lifted the bottle and gave it a shake. The clang of the gold coins inside chimed like a bell. Along with the slosh of the water, it was music to her ears. “You mean this?”

Sooyoung’s eyes shifted from the bottle to Jinsoul. Her gaze lingered at the latter.

Jinsoul gave her a smirk. “This? What a weird coincidence. Should’ve gotten there before me, you know the early bird gets the worm.”

They returned the smile of an elderly lady feeding pigeons as they strolled past her. 

“I didn't know you were going in the middle of the day. Wanted to stop by for one last check and unexpectedly found a pretty blonde walking away from the scene," Sooyoung mused, "I lost out an easy one, didn’t I?”

Jinsoul hummed. It was almost _too_ easy; she swiped the coins from their display in one swift move, disappearing with a sweep of her arm, and carefully released them into the thermos one by one, the water softening the drop of each.

“Calling yourself a thief at this point is an insult to me,” Jinsoul replied, “don’t you feel sorry?”

Sooyoung quirked an eyebrow. “Doesn't it count if I steal from you?”

“But you don’t even steal it from me, I _give_ it to you.” Jinsoul came to a halt, reaching down into her pocket to hold Sooyoung’s hand for a moment before pulling it out. She turned to face her with a mischievous smile, fingers still touching, and lowered her voice. “Seriously, you should be embarrassed of yourself...”

Their exchanges were always coated with a teasing undertone, always flirtatious, always frivolous.  Jinsoul held up the thermos and flipped it on its head. The splashing and clanging heard within made Sooyoung wince, but Jinsoul couldn’t figure out why.

"What matters is not how it's obtained, love, it's who has it in the end."

The blonde tilted her head. “If you want what’s in here, you’re gonna have to work for it.”  

Sooyoung returned Jinsoul’s playful eyebrow lift with a smirk of her own. It was no subtle change of expression and the way she tangled her fingers with Jinsoul’s was more than enough of a reply. She always thought they communicated best without words.

Jinsoul knew she wasn’t getting no for an answer. It was a challenge and Sooyoung liked those – they had that in common.

“Won’t be very hard,” Sooyoung mused. She wanted to get closer, but kept her distance, remembering that they were in public. The moment was relishing enough; they could only do this when they were overseas, after all.

A small, taunting chuckle escaped from Jinsoul’s lips as she gazed at the taller brunette. “I’ll make you work hard for it.”

 

 

She worked hard for it, all right.

They lay in the bed, heavy breaths mixing, in a fancy hotel room Sooyoung fixed up. Jinsoul gulped down a contented sigh and fluttered her eyes open, only to be met by a hovering Sooyoung reaching over to grab the remote.

Her brown hair tickled Jinsoul’s bare collarbone. She marvelled at the sight above her; Sooyoung's cheeks were flushed, but she never even broke a sweat. It was impressive. Before Jinsoul could make a move, pull her down and maybe go for another round, Sooyoung fell back on her side of the bed and switched on the TV.

In some weird coincidence, the television flickered on to bear the face of an elderly reporter. Behind him was the blurred silhouette of the manor-turned-museum, red and blue shining on it from some police car off-camera.

“Golden coins on display were stolen from the Clark Gallery earlier this afternoon. Believed to have been taken during a false fire alarm, police investigations are under way as curators suspect a two-person job…”

“It was a _one-_ person job,” Jinsoul corrected with a snicker as the TV camera cut to an empty display that once held gold coins atop the cranberry velvet covering.  

“…Part of a travelling exhibition touring northeastern America for the summer, the stolen objects are some of the earliest golden coins to be discovered, presumably used by the ancient Chinese state of Han. Valued at over…”

“Wrong,” Sooyoung suddenly piped up in annoyance. Startled, Jinsoul turned to look at her. “The coins were issued by the Chu state and circulated there during the Warring States period.”

Jinsoul blinked as Sooyoung’s musings drowned out the elderly reporter spouting apparently false facts on the TV.

“They could _at least_ do their research properly if they care enough to report on it…” Sooyoung murmured with a tired sigh, promptly turning off the TV like it was a nuisance.

Jinsoul laughed. She didn’t miss the slight twitch of a smile on Sooyoung’s face upon hearing her.

“What? Did you just pull that out of your ass?” Jinsoul asked incredulously.

Sooyoung turned on her side, propped up an elbow and rested her head on a closed fist. She looked at Jinsoul with curious eyes. “Why would I make this up?”

“…You didn’t? Why do you know that? Or no,” Jinsoul shook her head and re-worded her question, “why do you _care_?”

“I have a degree in art history.”

She said it so nonchalantly, Jinsoul didn’t believe it for a second, but Sooyoung kept a steady gaze towards her and she just got those type of eyes that could make anyone believe anything.

Jinsoul scoffed. “Really?” She was genuinely surprised.

The brunette gave her a dismissive tsk. “You art thieves never know or care about the _value_ – and I mean the cultural value, the _real_ value – of the stuff you’re taking.”

Jinsoul was intrigued. “Economic value is real value.”

“Oh sweetie, you don’t understand. You’re just gonna hand over those coins to Jungeun, collect your wad of cash, and then peace the fuck out of there,” Sooyoung hummed, “but do you know what’ll happen to those coins?”

Jinsoul stared at her, mouth slightly ajar, and that was her version of ‘of course I fucking don’t’. _I’m a thief, not a businessman. I just take what they tell me to._

“Of course you don’t,” Sooyoung read her mind, “What’s gonna happen is that the coins will probably be melted down and passed through dealers who don’t know the priceless value that those gold bars they’re holding once held. Value that’s been lost.”

Jinsoul didn’t seem very impressed, nor surprised. “How is it not valuable if it sells?”

It was Sooyoung’s turn to scoff this time. It sounded condescending, but it gave Jinsoul a strange tingle in her lower body.

“You idiots see it as valuable, but for a whole different reason. Stealing is the easy part. Selling is the real task, unless the fine art can be turned into something else… There's zero regard for anything beyond its surface value," Sooyoung sighed, "Shallow. Greedy. Selfish.”

Jinsoul wasn't used to being talked down to, but this time, the disparagement was coming from Sooyoung and somehow that made it enjoyable…even satisfying, perhaps. She shivered.

Silence fell in the room. Needless to say, Jinsoul was somewhere halfway between being appalled and being turned on. Maybe her laughter was the result of this weird mix of feelings.

“Oh, so you’re _serious_ serious,” she said, grinning, “why the fuck are you in this business then? You’re a thief too.”

Because Jinsoul always thought they were on the same page, in it for the same reason – the money – but Sooyoung may have been on a different chapter after all. She seemed to be much more than just another thief who seduced artwork out of Jinsoul’s hands; more than just some pretty face Jinsoul would spend a night with in exchange for her stolen objects.

Sooyoung hesitated for a moment, but Jinsoul let the silence draw out, waiting for her to say something.

The brunette gazed at her. “I get commissioned by wealthy clients. The money is a small part...the adrenaline too. But I mostly do it for the satisfaction of stealing back works that were looted in the first place… Because long, long ago, white people liked to come here, fuck around, and take what wasn’t theirs. Centuries later, they parade it around and put it on display like prizes they won at the fair. It’s about time they go back to their rightful owners.”

Jinsoul couldn’t help the smirk on her face. Sooyoung was reclaiming artwork. She liked the idea.

“What are you, like some art vigilante?” She also found it kind of funny.

“Hm,” Sooyoung hummed, low and cool. Jinsoul squirmed beneath the blanket and hummed back in return.

Sooyoung narrowed her eyes when she caught Jinsoul bite her lip. “What are you thinking about? Do you find art history sexy?” she sneered.

 _It’s not the art history, it’s you_ , Jinsoul wanted to say, but let out a soft sigh instead. “Art thieves who actually know and care about art. That’s not something you hear about everyday.”

Sooyoung's lips curled. “Does it make me more attractive?”

Jinsoul glanced at her, at her smug smile, her cheeky lifted eyebrow. No longer able to hold back, Jinsoul lunged forward and kissed Sooyoung, deep.

When they broke apart, Jinsoul breathed against her lips, “does that answer your question?”

 

 

Sooyoung woke up to an empty space beside her, nothing but a depression in the sheets that only indicated someone was once lying there. She shrugged. 

She sat up sleepily, clutching the sheets to her chest, and glanced towards the desk. Where the thermos had been placed while she and Jinsoul were busy, a note occupied the spot instead.

Sooyoung groaned as she dragged herself, along with the sheets, off the bed. This wasn’t a good sign.

In Jinsoul’s hasty handwriting, thick letters closely knitted together, the note read: ‘ _the early bird gets the worm.’_

“...For fuck’s sake,” Sooyoung muttered under her breath.

She grabbed the note and crumpled it in her hand before falling back on the bed.

 

 

Jungeun’s glass of water overflowed onto the table as Jinsoul poured the thermos. Just before Jungeun could curse her out though, the gold coins dropped into the glass one by one.

Jungeun sighed. “Thank you,” she glanced up at Jinsoul, “good job. I knew you could do it.” Reaching into her bag, she took out an envelope and handed it to her.

“Is this all of it?” Jinsoul asked. When Jungeun nodded, a smile spread on Jinsoul's face. All she really cared about was not getting that pay cut.

“Maybe I should threaten to cut your pay more often,” Jungeun joked.

“Won’t be as threatening next time,” Jinsoul replied, “or I’ll just find a new person to work under.”

Jungeun scoffed. “As if you’d actually leave.”

Jinsoul rolled her eyes with a smile to the sound of Jungeun’s chuckle. Truthfully, she didn’t like that it was true and hated it more that Jungeun knew. The woman had too much power over her and she didn’t even have to try.

Of course she wouldn’t leave. Jungeun was the long-time object of her affections, so much so that Jinsoul would be willing to break into museums and steal fine art for her, whenever, wherever. All Jungeun had to do was call her up.

All this for unreturned feelings. Jungeun wasn’t interested in her, or maybe she was holding back. She had a one-track mind, the type who’d do everything to keep work separate from personal life. Jinsoul didn’t get it; why hold back from a bit of fun?

It frustrated her. Jungeun never gave her the time of day; it made Jinsoul feel _used_ and while she shouldn’t mind because she was getting something out of it too (a hefty paycheck), the inequality of power in the relationship didn’t sit well with her. It made her feel utterly powerless.

It was complicated, but Jinsoul found satisfaction in seeing Jungeun get angry over artwork being taken right under their noses. It made her feel like she had some control, that she wasn't utterly powerless to her messy unrequited feelings. This was partly the reason why she gave up jobs to Sooyoung.

“Losing to you infuriates her. Jungeun hates you every passing second,” Jinsoul once told Sooyoung in a dark room, moonlight shining through the drapes. The only time they ever talked was afterwards in bed before they dozed off. One of them would be gone with the stolen artwork in tow by the time the other awakened.

“She’d hate you more if she found out that you’re lying to her and voluntarily giving the objects to me,” Sooyoung had replied to her. Exhaustion laced her voice, but she was still always willing to give Jinsoul her time of day. Jinsoul liked that a lot.

“I won't let that happen,” Jinsoul had said before lowering her voice, “it’ll hurt her too much.” Because Jinsoul still cared far too much about Jungeun to betray her so blatantly.

“Dumbass...every second you spend with me is a further betrayal of her. It’s building up, you’re just working towards an inevitable earthquake.” Sooyoung was being frank. She buried her face into Jinsoul’s hair and traced a finger along her jaw. “And I’d hate to see anything blow up in such a pretty face like yours.”

Jinsoul hummed. She knew Sooyoung was right; what she was doing didn’t make any sense. She was making short-sighted decisions for short-term satisfaction that wouldn’t benefit anyone in the long run. But it hurt her head to think about it, the consequences and all. Jinsoul was never a deep thinker, she just acted. 

She sighed. “Stop talking already, I like it better when you use your mouth for something else.”

At that, Sooyoung laughed and dipped beneath the blanket. At least at these moments, as Jinsoul arched her back, she didn’t have any regrets because Sooyoung was good at fulfilling her needs and desires.

Their sporadic meetings gave her gratification she couldn’t get from Jungeun. Most of all, it was fun.

 

\

 

Jinsoul widened her eyes when she stumbled upon the empty display case. There were supposed to be ceramic figures in there.

She frantically looked around; who on earth got here before her?

The security alarm began blaring at a belated time, making Jinsoul jump. Her heart pounded in her chest; nothing was going as planned. She had no choice but to abort. Spinning on her heels, she made a beeline for the window she entered through.

Who she found looking down at the shards of glass by the shattered window made Jinsoul wish she could shoot herself right then and there.

Sooyoung turned to look at her upon hearing her footsteps. “Breaking the window? Really? I could’ve let you in through the back door or something,” she said, clear amusement in her face.

Jinsoul wasn’t entirely sure whether she wanted to square her in the jaw or kiss her. Sooyoung was the last person she wanted to see, but also the first. Just when Jinsoul thought of returning Sooyoung’s quip, she sucked back her words once she saw the briefcase Sooyoung was clutching. Jinsoul knew the ceramics were in there.

“Are you looking for something?” The jest in Sooyoung’s tone was somehow more irritating and worrying than the overdue security alarm.

“The ceramics,” was all Jinsoul muttered, eyes trained on the briefcase. She was both impressed and pissed. Jinsoul let herself have conflicting, confusing feelings rather than try to settle on one. 

Sooyoung only smirked. She was having too much fun with this. She reached into a pocket, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, and tossed it Jinsoul’s way. It landed at her feet.

Reaching down, Jinsoul picked it up and opened it. She was met by her own messy scrawl, the words looking back at her, taunting.

‘ _The early bird gets the worm.’_

By the time Jinsoul looked up, Sooyoung was already gone. She scoffed; really, she should’ve seen this coming. Sooyoung always had tricks up her sleeve, it was what kept things exciting. Jungeun was going to be pissed; how would Jinsoul make up for this?

As for her…this seemed to be the start of the inevitable earthquake Sooyoung warned her about. The hypothetical ground began to shake. Jinsoul could only laugh at herself; it was about time the consequences of her recklessness started catching up to her. She was getting so far ahead, it almost seemed unfair. 

“Goddamnit,” she could only mutter as she climbed out of the window, the shards of glass crackling beneath her boots.

A small smile remained on her face, though. This was all part of the game, all part of the fun, after all.

 

\

 

Sooyoung winced when Jinsoul shoved her against the wall.

Needless to say, the bathroom of a bar wasn’t the classiest place they had ever met up in. Not that Sooyoung had much of a choice; Jinsoul dragged her here down the street from a London gallery they had ran out of in the dead of the night, a bag full of plates on Jinsoul’s back.

Jinsoul pinned her with one arm, her other hand against Sooyoung's abdomen. “Thanks to you, my pay was cut.”

Sooyoung quirked an eyebrow. “Did you spend the last several weeks agonizing over how I got in and there before you? Did it hurt your massive ego?”

She was enjoying this, Jinsoul could tell. “No,” Jinsoul murmured, “I agonized over how I could make you pay the next time I saw you.”

“You asked for it,” Sooyoung replied in a low voice, “you know I worked _so hard_ for those golden coins in New York and yet…”

“Not enough. Now, if you want these ancient dishes on my back, you’ll have to work harder and earn them.” Jinsoul pressed herself up against Sooyoung, so close that she felt the warmth radiating off the brunette. Fire ran under her skin; she felt it too. “Make it quick, though. Jungeun wants the bag by sunrise and whether she gets it or not depends on you.” The objects rattled in her bag as Jinsoul brought her face closer.

She felt a sigh against her lips. “Careful. It’s carved lacquer,” Sooyoung muttered, “I see you haven’t changed whatsoever. I thought your pay got cut, you won't be able to afford food on your plate at this rate. Do you need me to teach you another lesson?”

Jinsoul gave her a small smile. She never faltered. “What can I say…I just _can’t_ get enough of you.”

She certainly did not miss the change in Sooyoung’s eyes. Their lips brushed as Jinsoul slightly tilted her head. She knew Sooyoung liked to feel empowered. If there was anything Jinsoul learned, it was that the higher she helped pull someone up, the further their fall would be when she pushed.

 

 

Jinsoul left Sooyoung another note, stuffing it in her back pocket during a lingering last kiss before Jinsoul pulled away. She dropped the bag at Sooyoung’s feet and slipped out with an unyielding gaze.

Sooyoung smirked. Once Jinsoul was gone, she pulled the folded piece of paper from her back pocket.

The letters this time were neat in Jinsoul's careful handwriting: ‘ _I may know jack shit about art, but I do know that I'm the better thief._ _Maybe you can learn something from me. I can have my fun and still be two steps ahead.’_

Knitting her eyebrows together, Sooyoung suddenly dropped to her knees and ripped open the bag.

What she found wasn’t lacquerware. It was glass bottles. With the slightest of smiles, Sooyoung cursed under her breath. Jinsoul left her with sullied lips and a bag of empty bottles.

 

 

As the sun rose, Jinsoul hugged the bag to her chest with a grin on her face.

She was excited for several things that were waiting for her. One, a paycheck with more than enough zeros. Two, the relief on Jungeun's face when she shows up with the plates; the girl was losing faith in her and Jinsoul wanted to prove her wrong. Three, the next time she'd be face-to-face with Sooyoung again; with the stunt she pulled tonight, Jinsoul knew Sooyoung must be just as eager to see her.

She skipped down the London sidewalk, effortlessly riding the shock waves of the earthquake that was her life. Jinsoul had no idea it'd be this fun.

**Author's Note:**

> yvesoul...lipsoul...ultimately the winner is jinsoul and jinsoul only so jinsoul stans come get this meal!


End file.
